This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

At least, Jibran Sheikh, a 26-year-old who works in wealth management in Toronto, found that to be the case. Sheikh said he doesn’t expect the women he dates to pay on the first few outings, and the bills can stack up.

“If you go to a restaurant patio and get dinner and drinks, the first date can be up to 100 bucks, especially if you’re trying to make the right impression,” he said. “The in thing to do is to try new things, markets or festivals. It all adds up.”

With summer in full swing, Sheikh said the number of dates also seems to increase as many people take advantage of the warm weather.

He’s getting more creative in his approach to dating in order to save money. For a first date, Sheikh will suggest grabbing coffee, taking an interesting walk or visiting city landmarks. The bigger spending is saved for the second and third dates. The added bonus? The first dates are original, Sheikh said.

Article Continued Below

“First dates can be cheap. Because you’re still trying to figure out the person,” Sheikh said. “I’ve had a couple girls say, ‘That was really different. It was unique. It wasn’t a cliché date.’ It’s more about walking around and seeing things. Then you have inside jokes. Those kind of dates have a bit more character.”

So how do you date without breaking the bank? Toronto dating experts suggest being selective in who you date, making use of free events or, if necessary, pulling out a dreaded Groupon.

New data released by EliteSingles, a dating site targeted at an established, middle-aged market, found that a typical date in Canada costs an average of $115.

For the purposes of their data, a “typical date night” was defined as “a mid-range dinner for two, a shared bottle of wine, two movie tickets and an 8 km taxi ride home.” They used Expatistan, a website that calculates cost of living between cities, to research the price of each date element.

EliteSingles found that the priciest city to go on a date in is Hamilton, where the typical date was found to cost $125. Toronto was ranked the second highest price point at $123. Meanwhile, Quebec City was the cheapest option — and it was still over $100 ($103, to be precise).

Compared to other major global cities, Toronto was ranked 11th most expensive out of 25, with Oslo, Norway, Tokyo, Japan, New York, USA, Stockholm, Sweden and others out-pricing it.

But Toronto dating coaches said dates don’t have to break the bank.

In fact, it’s rare for first dates to include a meal, says Toronto dating coach and matchmaker Terran Shea. Coffee or drinks has become the norm, she said, as people are going on so many first encounters these days. According to Shea, this could be partly due to the fact that there are so many online dating and mobile dating options, which has led to a “shopping-around concept to dating.”

“Most people meet for a quick coffee or a quick drink. That cuts down on cost for sure,” Shea said.

Natalia Juarez, a breakup coach and dating strategist in Toronto,

has had the question of how to save money on dates come up with clients before. She said some money can be saved before even going on a date by simply being more strategic in selections.

“If you’re dating strategically and going on less dates then you’re able to invest more in those dates,” Juarez said. “There’s two parts. One is how you market yourself online and, also, how do you select people.”

According to Juarez, the “goal is not to cast a super wide net, but really tap into your target kind of person,” by being open about the type of lifestyle you lead and looking for someone who would complement that.

Carmelia Ray, an online dating expert and matchmaker, said those looking to save money on dates should “look for city listings where there are fairs or activity-based dates . . . or Google things to do for free.” Ray also suggested making use of discounts, such as those offered on Groupon.

“You should be the entertainment. Bring your personality and in any situation you can have a lot of fun,” Ray said. “Go for ice cream. Who doesn’t like ice cream? Go window shopping, walk on the beach, that’s super cliché but it works. Go to interesting places like the Distillery District, art festivals, Shakespeare in the Park.”

Ray added: “It’s only expensive if you allow it to get expensive.”

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com